Verizon is lighting up XLTE in Colorado and across the country. (File photo)

Verizon Wireless announced Monday that it is launching faster mobile broadband technology in five Colorado cities and other markets nationwide.

Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Greeley and Pueblo will have access to Verizon’s so-called XLTE network – which the carrier promises will deliver “faster peak data speeds and a minimum of double the bandwidth to 4G LTE customers in high traffic areas.” A Verizon spokeswoman said Durango will also receive XLTE.

Most of the recently released smartphones are compatible with the new network technology, including latest lineup of Droid devices; the Samsung Galaxy S4, S5 and Note 3; and the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s.

Sprint has said it will light up its super-fast Spark service in Denver in the third quarter. The carrier’s LTE network is expected to officially launch in Denver by the end of June. Sprint is also flirting with the idea of acquiring T-Mobile.

Tamara Chuang covers personal technology and local tech news for The Denver Post. She previously spent 10 years doing the same thing for The Orange County Register before taking a hiatus to move here and become a SAHM to a precocious toddler.